Damaged Beyond Repair (Student/ Teacher) ✔️

Chapter 44

Alana

I'd spent a good amount of time staring at the coffee menu, not because I wasn't able to decide what I wanted to order, but because coffee was the last thing on my mind. My mind since the past two weeks had been occupied by how I was going to tell Troy that we needed to end the fake dating; it was getting a little boring.

I had started to wonder if there really was some kind of a clip of us kissing, or if it was just something that Troy had come up with. He was kind of sweet when he waited for me in the parking lot, smoking a cigarette as usual and trying to look cool. He even helped me carry my stuff to class, pecked my cheek in the corridors for the "fake dating" thing, and even let me join his band practice. We even went out for pizza together during the weekend.

Troy led a life of a loner, and I didn't recall watching him getting along with anyone outside his band members or talking about a single friend back home and that made me think if he had manipulated our situation to make it seem like we needed to go along with this dating.

To me it looked like he just wanted company for lunches and someone to just talk to. Whatever that it was, I was going to lay it out for him. In the past two weeks that I'd known him, I hadn't uttered a single word about having known Rowan.

Finally, I decided on my usual favorite mocha latte with lots of whipped cream. The café was packed, and the queue to the order register was never-ending, and moving at snail's pace. I sighed. It was a Friday, what had I really expected?

I groaned as the employee behind the counter worked slowly, wanting to get it over with. Just when I was ready to ditch the idea of coffee, I felt a tug at my top.

"Alana!" The little girl wrapped her little arms around my midsection as she recognized who I was.

The girl was Minnie. Daughter of my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, as taboo as it sounds.

I had met her after a year, she looked as cute as I remembered. Although we talked on the phone, this was different. I got hold of her hands. "Hey! Look at you, baby. You're all grown up and beautiful. Love your dress."

"Thanks." She said, putting her hair behind her ear, the way grown up girls did. Minnie stared at me with the familiar mocha eyes. Rowan's eyes. Her features were a stark reminder of him. My heart couldn't handle the pain. Her hair had grown longer and tied back in a ponytail. She was dressed like a doll in a lime colored sleeveless top and mini skirt with matching shoes. "Why din you come to meat me?"

I tried to look for an easy escape because I didn't have an answer. What was I supposed to tell the little girl, that I had gotten cold feet? Because the smallest of connections with him reminded me of what I had lost. He had been you-know-who for me since a year. Nina and Chez had minimized the use of his name or his family in my vicinity, although I knew they gossiped about me and him behind my back.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetie. I promise to remain in touch with you from now on."

"Pinky Promise?" She raised her pinky finger to mine.

I linked my pinky finger with hers. "Pinky Promise."

Now that I thought about it, how come Minnie was here alone? She was always hanging out with Dwight? Wasn't it supposed to be his duty to make sure she was safe while Rowan was away? Maybe he was too busy flirting with some chick to notice his niece gone. I made a mental note to give an earful to Dwight when I met him next time.

"Where is Uncle Dwight, baby?" I asked.

"Uncle Dwigh's not wid me." Minnie said.

"Then who is here with you, sweetie?" I tried again.